For this report, multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the net effects of parenthood and marriage on enrolling in a graduate degree program after taking into account variables other than gender that might be related to graduate enrollmentsuch as age, race/ethnicity, parents education, and undergraduate education (control and level of institution, major, and GPA). Analyses were conducted for women and men separately.

For women, marriage before bachelors degree receipt was negatively related to graduate enrollment. After controlling for other characteristics, 23 percent of women who married before receiving their bachelors degree enrolled in graduate school, compared with 33 percent of women who had not yet married 4 years after earning their bachelors degree. Marriage was not significantly related to graduate enrollment for men, however, after controlling for other characteristics.